General Training Toolkit

Sample Package of Training Materials

for Healthcare Providers and Community Health Workers
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RESOURCES
INCLUDED:
Overview of General Training Toolkit

Training Modules

Example of Training Agenda/Facilitator Guide

Example of Training Materials for Community Health Workers

Example of Training Materials for Healthcare Providers

Welcome!

The General Training Toolkit on Mental Health is a collection of

training materials to train community health workers (CHWs) and
healthcare providers on mental health topics.

• The toolkit contains a collection of modules, grouped into topic areas, that can be mixed, matched,
and modified to meet the needs of your program and your site.
• The modules are designed to be stand-alone trainings. They can be combined to form longer or
multi-day trainings or be used as single training modules. Modules differ based on the type of
provider being trained.
• Each module contains:
• A Facilitator Manual
• A Participant Manual
• Pre- and Post-tests
• A PowerPoint presentation
Intended Audience and Use:

This toolkit is meant for CHWs, healthcare providers, and program managers to
enhance the training of these providers and to build their skills to support patients
within the community.

The materials and trainings require a certain level of development of a mental health system of
care, including a care pathway and forms/protocols that guide the work within the system.
Please consider if your site has the forms/protocols necessary to implement each of the
modules.

Similarly, the modules are designed to be adapted to your site and system of care.
Suggested and required adaptations are noted in the facilitator manual and
PowerPoint.
How to Use the Toolkit

This toolkit includes resources for:

Community Health Workers
Mental Healthcare Providers

Each individual module contains the following materials:

A Facilitator Manual
A Participant Manual
A Pre- and Post-Test
A PowerPoint Presentation
 Sample 2-day Training Agenda for CHWs
Day 1: Topic: Day 2: Topic:
8:30-9:00 Welcome: Registration, Pre/post tests 8:30-9:00 Welcome: Registration, Pre-post tests
9:00-11:00 Introduction to Depression
9:00-9:30 What is Mental Health?
11:00-11:30 Break
9:30-10:30 Mental Health and Human Rights
11:30-12:30 Introduction to Trauma
10:30-11:00 Break
11:00-12:30 Mental Health, Culture, Stigma, and 12:00-1:00 Lunch
Discrimination 1:00-3:00 Introduction to Trauma, Continued
12:30-1:30 Lunch 3:00-3:30 Break
1:00-2:00 Introduction to Epilepsy
3:30-4:30 Conducting Home Visits and Follow-Up
2:00-2:30 Break
4:30-5:00 Closing: Post-test, evaluations, follow-
2:30-4:00 Intro to Agitation, Delirium, & up, certificates
Psychosis
4:00-5:00 Closing
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 Sample Facilitator Guide

Slide Thumbnail Facilitator Notes Slide: Mental Health Care General Principles
Do:
Slide: Initial Mental Health Evaluation for Depression
• Review each bullet point.
Do: • Be sure to emphasize the important of being aware of
your own current emotional states, for example, if tired,
• Introductions
upset, hungry, or irritable.
• Ground Rules, including guidelines around confidentiality Ask:
• Ice Breaker • Would you like to add anything to this list?
• Pre-test • Are there any principles that would be difficult to
Slide: Learning Objectives adhere to?

Do: • If a patient thought that you were judging them, what do

you think they would do?
• Read the objectives on the slide. Ensure the group recognizes that patients who feel

• Remind the participants that they are in charge of their own uncomfortable in a clinic setting tend to drop out of
learning and mastery of the objectives. They should ask care.
questions throughout the training to ensure comprehension • What other interview skills are important when
of the materials. discussing sensitive health information with a patient?
• Emphasize the importance of working collaboratively with
the physician, psychologist, social workers, nurses and Do:
community health workers at their sites. A multidisciplinary,
• Record participant responses on a sheet of flip chart
integrative approach is essential to the success of this
paper.
work.
 Training Modules

Foundational Training Depression Training

Epilepsy Training Modules
Modules Modules

Psychosis Training Advanced Training

6 Modules Modules
Foundational Training Modules
For CHWs: For Providers:
 Basic Counseling Skills  Basics of Interpersonal Therapy

 Basic Interviewing Skills

 Basics of Practicing Interpersonal therapy
 Community Education Activities
 Biopsychosocial Clinical Formulation
 Conducting Home Visits and Follow-Up
 Psychotherapy and Family and Patient
 Helping Families Cope with Mental Education
Health Conditions

 Informed Consent and Confidentiality  Stigma and Epidemiology of Mental Health

Disorders
 Introduction to Substance Abuse

 Mental Health and Human Rights

 Mental Health, Culture, Stigma, and

Discrimination

 What is Mental Health

Depression Training Modules
For CHWs: For Providers:
 Introduction to Depression  Initial Mental Health Evaluation for
Depression

 Introduction to Mental Health Care for

Depression- Epidemiology & Stigma

 Medication Management and Other

Treatments for Depression

 Screening for Depression

 Symptoms of Depression and Making a

Diagnosis
 Epilepsy Training Modules
For CHWs: For Providers:
 Case Identification, Triage, Referral  Diagnosing Epilepsy
and Psychoeducation for Possible
Epilepsy  Epilepsy Follow-Up

 Conducting Home Visits about  Epilepsy Foundations

Epilepsy
 Epilepsy Medication
 Counseling Patients and Families
about Epilepsy
 Epilepsy Psychoeducation

 Stigma Discrimination and the System of Care

 Epilepsy Treatment and Management

Psychosis Training Modules
For CHWs: For Providers:
 Counseling Patients and Families  Follow Up and Documentation
about Agitation, Delirium, and
 Medical Evaluation and
Psychosis
Management of Agitation, Delirium,
 Identifying and Approaching and Psychosis
People with Agitation, Delirium,
 Medication Management of
and Psychosis
Agitation, Delirium, and Psychosis
 Introduction to Agitation,
 Psychosis System of Care and the
Delirium, and Psychosis
Four Pillars of Emergency
 Triage and Referral for Agitation, Management of Agitation, Delirium,
Delirium, and Psychosis and Psychosis

 Safety and Management of

Agitated Patients
Advanced Topics Training Modules

For CHWs: For Providers:

 Introduction to Trauma  Diagnosis of Severe Mental
Disorders
 Biopsychosocial Model
 Screening for Suicidality
 Identifying Symptoms of
Mental Disorders

 Major Mental Disorders

 Medication Adherence and
Side Effects

 Suicidality and Self-Harm

Sample Training Materials
For Community Health Workers

*For Healthcare Provider Training Materials, please contact [email protected]

 What is Depression?

• Depression describes feeling low, sad, or miserable.

Almost all adults will experience such emotions with the
loss of a loved one, loss of employment or other tragic
events.
• For most people, these feelings are short-lived and can be
considered a ‘distress’ state in reaction to life difficulties.

15
 Depression and Depressive Disorder

Factors in diagnosing Depressive Disorder:

• A persistent depressed mood
• Decreased interest in or pleasure from activities

Major depressive disorder is not a passing “blue” mood, nor a sign of personal
weakness. People with major depression need help to get better

17
Contributing factors to depression

Biological

Social Psychological

18
Symptoms of Depression

• Multiple persistent physical symptoms with no clear cause

• Low energy
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems (sleeping too much or too little)
• Anxiety
• Change in appetite or weight (weight gain or loss)
• Beliefs of worthlessness
• Excessive guilt
• Indecisiveness
• Restlessness/agitation
• Hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts and acts
19
 Treatment for Depression

Provider can offer:

• Medication
• Counseling, therapy

CHWs can offer:

• Support around:
– Improved sleep
– Exercise
– Social activities
– Quitting or limiting drugs and/or alcohol

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 Key Psychoeducation Messages

• Depression is very common and does not mean that the person is
lazy or weak
• Other people may not understand depression because they cannot
see it (unlike some other illnesses). The depression is not your fault.
• People with depression can have negative thoughts about their own lives and
futures. With treatment and as the depression improves, those thoughts will
likely improve, too.

21
 When to refer

• The person talks about self-harm or suicide or tries either

• There are signs of psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or
delusions
• If the person is pregnant or breastfeeding
• In the case of serious side effects from medication

22
 Role Play 1:
Post-partum
depression

Alice had a baby a month ago. Up until the birth of

the baby, she worked as an accountant in a busy

government office. She loved her job and felt like she

was an important part of a team.

She had some complications during the birth and the

doctor told her to rest as much as possible to

recover. Now, she misses her work and misses her

social life. She is completely exhausted which makes

her feel like she cannot think clearly and has a hard

time making even simple decisions. Beyond that, she

doesn’t like the physical demands of breastfeeding

and has begun to resent her baby for needing her so

much.

The CHW comes to the house for a regular post-

partum check-up and is concerned about Alice.

 Questions? We’d love to hear from you!

Please contact [email protected] for access to more

information & materials, or complete the resource request form here

Partners In Health, Mental Health Program